Valkyrie Maximum ride crossover
by maruman
Summary: Valkyrie gets abducted by Sanguine and sold to the school. I got the idea from "Spreading her wings" in the Skul section.Set after Fang and she gets kidnapped after DD only no Darquess. First fanfic, please R&R. T for paranoia
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. It all belongs to Derek Landy and James Patterson**

Valkyrie was walking home from school that night. For once, Skullduggery wasn't solving any cases, so Valkyrie hadn't sent her reflection to school and had gone herself. Few people knew where she lived, so she was incredibly surprised when Billy-Ray Sanguine covered her mouth and nose with a strange-smelling rag. She struggled, but he was too strong, and the clorophome was taking its effect. As she struggled against her assailant and to stay awake, Billy-Ray murmured in her ear.

"I know I said I'd kill you, but I think this is worse. And it pays." There might have been more, but at that moment Valkyrie lost both her fights and all went dark.


	2. Chapter 1

Skullduggery's phone rang. His number was rarely called, and when it was, it wasn't usually for a friendly chat. Usually, it was more likely to be some thing along the lines of; "help, we're all going to die!". This call was almost just as bad.

"Valkyrie's missing. When's the last time you saw her?" asked Thanith.

"I saw her last night. I told her she should go to school tomorrow and give her reflection some rest. What do you mean missing?"

"I mean she never came home from school. She stayed for all her classes, but hasn't been seen since. I'm almost certain Sanguine has her. There were cracks on the pavement about halfway to her house."

"Well then, that's something."

"What!"

"Well if he'd killed her, he'd have left the body where we could find it. He'd want to make his point." Skullduggery was talking with an ease he didn't posses. He was going to kill Sanguine, rip him limb from limb and… but he had to help Valkyrie first.

"I'll meet you at Ghastly's in two hours." He told Thanith. That should give him enough time to check out the scene. He had to get her back. He had to! She'd saved him so many times, he owed her at least that.


	3. warning emo themes

Valkyrie woke to pain. All she ever felt now was either pain, fear or anger. And hate. She hated them, all those people who tested and changed her. Who mearly took notes when she screamed. Who took the other children in the crates to inflict the same pain to them, with only a look of interest on their face. Every day would be the same. She would wake up and be brought either to the testing room or to the experiment room. She would come back in pain, tired and with no idea what would be different about her in the morning. After many days of torture (she had lost track of time by then), she had woken up with small wings. They grew every day, but seemed to have settled once they'd reached 3 and a half meters length. They were the same shade of brown as her hair and eyes, with the odd black speck.

Now, she had no idea how long she'd been here, and she had better senses, faster reflexes, and healed almost instantly. She'd have escaped when she first got there, but her power didn't work. All she could feel was a numbing influence exactly like the power restricting handcuffs they used on magical prisoners. It came from her arm. She guessed they'd inserted a chip that blocked magic, and every night she'd hack at her arm with a piece of plastic, trying to get it out. She could sometimes feel the small piece of metal scrape against the plastic, but she never managed to move it. Valkyrie couldn't remember how long she'd been here, but she did notice that every time she cut her arm, it would take a little longer to heal. This was the only thing that gave her hope.


	4. chapter 3

Tanith was worried about Skullduggery. Ever since Valkyrie had disappeared two years ago, he'd been chasing down Sanguine. He barely bothered to solve the cases the Sanctuary gave him, and only seemed to enjoy the time he spent in near death situations. He'd gotten even more detached when he'd bought Gordon Edgely's house. Valkyrie's parents had put it on sale shortly after the birth of their second daughter, Rose. They had been devastated at the loss of their daughter, and only knew that she'd disappeared on her way home from school. Sometimes Tanith would be tempted to tell them the truth, but she just couldn't bear the idea of explaining everything to people who looked so much like her lost friend. Tanith shook her head. Enough sadness. She had to help Skullduggery trap Sanguine. He was still their only link to Val. She cranked up her motorbike and drove away.

**I know the chapters are really short and they look like oneshots. I'm really sorry about that, I'll make them longer (eventually) and this story is going somewhere. Reviews make me happy and make me post more.**


	5. Chapter 4

When Valkyrie was shoved back into her crate that night, she noticed there was a girl in the crate next to hers. The girl had pale skin and dirty red hair, and looked absolutely terrified. Valkyrie could smell the fear on her. The girl was crying softly, and Valkyrie felt sorry for her.

"Hey," she said "What's your name?" the small girl looked up and cowered to the back of her crate. Valkyrie tried a smile, an expression she could hardly remember. It didn't seem to turn out too well, as the girl only seemed to get more agitated.

"It's okay," said the older girl, "I don't want to hurt you." She noticed a clump of feathers hidden behind the small girl's back. Instictively, Valkyrie extended her wings. The small girl's eyes widened in shock. A small, trembling hand reached out hesitantly. "See, I'm like you. I can help you. I'm Valkyrie. Can you understand me?" Receiving no response, she nodded. "I guess you've been here a long time. I'll just have to teach you English. I'm going to call you Robin." Robin just sat there, stroking the petty brown wings, listening to the strange sounds the older girl was making.


	6. Chapter 5

Finally. The moment he'd been waiting for. Himself, with his gun, and Sanguine, defenceless, backed into a corner. He was about to find out where Valkyrie was.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"What, no chitchat? Not even an insult? I feel offended, I'd been looking forward to catching up with you." Answered the American.

"You know what I want. Tell me and I might let you live."

"Yeah, I'm totally buying that. We both know you can't wait to shoot me."

"It is very tempting, but I'm prepared to let you go in exchange for her whereabouts."

"Ah, but you see, if I tell you, then word will get out that I'm not trustworthy, and I'll be out of a job. And I like this job. You know what the best part is?" replied the hit man, "They let me watch. The most painful experiments and tests. I have them taped. I could send them to you. And she can't even use magic to defend herself, seen as I've blocked her powers! I don't think she'll keep her sanity much longer."

"Bastard!" yelled Skulduggery as he shot. Sanguine sank into the earth with a cheeky wave and a grin.

"Oh Valkyrie," murmured the skeleton, "Where are you?"


	7. Chapter 6

Valkyrie was worried. Robin had been in the experiment lab for a full four meals and when she had come back, she had been left to sleep for another four. The longest experiment she could remember had lasted only two meals, and it was for the wings. That couldn't be it; Robin was born with them, as far as she could tell. It had to be something new then.

As she waited for Robin to come back, she cut her arm, trying to find the power binding chip she was certain was there. Stupid scientists, making her heal super fast. She felt the piece of plastic scratch against something that wasn't her bone before her skin closed up. She sighed and leaned back against her crate. She'd never get out. She and Robin would rot in this hellhole just as Sanguine had intended.

It wasn't too bad, she supposed. She hadn't been to the experiment room in ages. Mostly, they just tested her abilities. Maybe they'd altered her as much as was needed and they would use her for something else. Then again, maybe she was overdue for an alteration. Or maybe they were studying her as much as possible before they "retired" her. She wouldn't mind dying. It would take away the pain. But poor Robin would be stuck here, all alone…

Her musings were interrupted by two erasers frog-marching a girl aged between five and seven. Her pale sweaty face stood out against her flaming orange hair, making her look even sicklier. She was struggling weakly against her captors. One of the two erasers opened the Robin's crate while the other unceremoniously shoved her in.

"Hey Val, shouldn't you be cutting your arm up or something?" asked Robin as the two wolf men walked off.

"Tried that already. I got bored. What about you, have you figured out what they did this time?" replied her friend. The redhead immediately sobered immediately.

"Yeah, I did. Val, we're a flock, right?"

"Of course."

"So you'll love me no matter what?"

"Even if I get back to my old family, you'll still be my sister. What's wrong?"

"Val, I think… I think they've made me into an eraser." There was a tense silence.

"Show me," was all the Irish girl said. The little girl closed her eyes and thought about the feeling of power that had come over her earlier. She visualized the powerful paws she had used to rip the erasers to bits. Suddenly, she could feel body change, her muscles, organs and bones shifting and rearranging themselves to accommodate her new self.

Strangely, Val was smiling and looked relieved.

"Robin," she said "You're not an eraser. You aren't a wolf. You're a cat." The small girl concentrated and regained her normal body.

"But what if I'm the new generation? What if they make me kill you?"

"Rob, do you want to kill me?"

"Of course not!" screeched the horrified little girl.

"Then you aren't an eraser. You're just you, plus you can turn into a huge cat."

"I'm not huge!"

"You are for someone your size." Valkyrie suddenly became serious. "Rob, do you think you could just change part of your hand?"

"I can try." The little girl proceeded to focus on her hand. Slowly, the nails sharpened and hardened, the fingers went from long and slender to tiny stubs. The nails slid down into the skin which promptly covered itself in fine hair. "Here. Why do you need my hand?"

"You're not going to like this. Just give me your hand with the claws out. It's the only way for us to get the chip out and it'll be less painful than using the plastic." Robin handed Valkyrie her paw, but pulled away as soon as Valkyrie put the claw against her forarm.

"No! I won't do it! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Robin, your claws will hurt less than a jagged piece of plastic. It's the only way we can escape. Just think about it. You know I'll cut myself anyway, this'll just hurt less."

Robin turned away. She did her best to ignore her flock sister's words, but freedom was too tempting. She reluctantly handed the older girl her paw.

"Go ahead. Just don't make me watch."

Valkyrie flashed a smile at her before setting to work.


	8. Sanguine is evil

Skulduggery hated Sanguine. More than usual. He was driving to Tanith's apartment from Haggard. Poor Edgleys. Not only had they lost their older daughter to Sanguine, but the fucking bastard was sending them the tapes. They had appeared in the Edgley's letterbox with a note addressed to him. Of course, when the Edgleys saw Valkyrie's given name on the tapes, they had played them straight away. Skulduggery hadn't seen them, but he was almost scared to after seeing the Edgley's tear-streaked faces and despairing manner. He'd called Tanith immediately, as she lived closest and had a video player. Tanith had said she would call Fletcher and Ghastly. Skulduggery didn't really mind. He quickly parked the Bentley in front of Tanith's apartment block and flew up to her floor, too impatient to bother with stairs and doors. He knocked sharply at her window. Tanith came in and let him in.

"Can I see the note?" she asked. Skulduggery didn't bother replying and just gave it to her before moving towards the VCR player. Fletcher and Ghastly were standing in the living room and crowded around Tanith as she silently read the note. Skulduggery had no interest in the note. Reading it again would only increase his anger he could practicly remember it word for word. It read:

Dear Skulduggery, I don't know your address, so I just left these where I knew you'd find them. I hope her parents saw them. Shame I couldn't be there to see their faces. I'd love to see you watch it, even if you don't have a face. Anyway, here I am rambling on like an old man, while you could be watching some perfectly good horror. Don't worry, I only included clips I knew you wouldn't be able to track her down with. Really hating the lot of you,

_Sanguine_

_PS: Don't bother staking out the Edgley's lawn. If I find anything else I think you'd like, I'll put it somewhere where you'll find it._

Skulduggery put the tape in and pressed play. And instantly regretted it. She appeared. She was fighting an unusually good looking man, and seemed to be doing alright, when suddenly the man jumped at her. Mid-leap, the man turned into a huge wolf. He landed on a very surprised Valkyrie, who was still fighting when the wolf bent down and ripped his claw from her collar bone to her stomach in one swift movement. A man in a lab coat came in and dragged the girl out. There were more scenes of the same kind. There were a lot of films of Valkyrie running through a maze and getting shocked whenever she stopped. In each clip she seemed thinner and in a worse condition. Finally, at the end of the tape, a scientist injected something into her arm. Valkyrie was tied to the table, and began convulsing almost immediately. Her back arched, her limbs jerked in all directions. She screamed, retched, dry heaved, and chocked at the same time. The heart monitor was going insane, going at a speed that would usually be deemed impossible. Finally, it all stopped. Even the monitor. Scientists rushed to her side, injecting other substances into her body, until, finally, a single beep was herd. Then another. And another. Her heartbeat steadied, although faster than a normal person. The tape ended abruptly. The four friends just stood there, shocked beyond words.


	9. Chapter 9

Valkyrie was getting desperate. They'd put her through the same operation as Robin, and it still hurt. It was as bad as when she'd gotten her wings, that terrible burning sensation that was still shooting through her body. When she woke up after the operation two meals ago and learned that she had been gone for a full three meals, she knew she was like Robin. She'd gotten the younger girl to show her how to turn her hand, and had started on her arm straight away. Her desperation to escape was enforced by the two words she'd overheard just before the operation. _Breeding program._ She had seen some of the unwilling mothers sobbing themselves after the Whitecoats had taken their kids. Valkyrie was determined that she wouldn't end up like them. Suddenly, she felt her claw scrape against something hard. Holding her breath, she quickly dug deeper into her arm, making sure she was still touching the chip. She scooped her claw under what she thought was the chip, and had almost pulled it to the surface when two erasers came into the room. Quickly, Valkyrie turned her paw into a hand. One of the wolf-men opened the cage while the other grabbed hold of her arm. They quickly marched her to the lab, where she promptly lost conssiousness.

The girl wasn't surprised to wake up on an operating table. It happened with an alarming regularity. The Whitecoats had probably just cut her open and examined her liver or something. She was put through the usual painful tests before being escorted back to her crate. She promptly cut the chip out of arm and felt her elemental magic at her fingertips. She created a few fireballs and melted the top of her crate before compressing air into the lock on her crate. She played around with her magic until Valkyrie heard footsteps outside. Grinning wildly, she crept out of her cage and flew up behind the door. Two erasers came in with a small redheaded figure. Valkyrie dropped onto the one closest to her and broke his neck. It took his partner about five seconds to react, but it was half a second too late, as an angry little girl was already punching him in the face.

"Hey Rob," was the last thing this guard heard, "told you I'd bust us out."


	10. Chapter 10

Robin had always imagined escaping the hellhole she'd been born in, but she'd never thought it would happen like this. Alarms were blaring from the corridor. Valkyrie was searching through the Eraser's pockets. Robin had always thought freedom would be exhilarating, with no fears or worries to drag her down. But right then, she was just scared. What if they were caught? What if they weren't? Where would they go? What if… The young girl was startled out of her speculations as Valkyrie threw a set of keys at her.

"Open up as many cages as you can. You start on that side and I'll do this one." Robin had never used keys before, but she had seen plenty of Erasers use them. How hard could it be?

She got through five cages before Valkyrie finished all of hers. Once Valkyrie finished exploding the locks on the cages (Robin really needed to learn how to do that), they got out of the experiment storage room. Erasers were fighting experiments left and right, but the Erasers were better trained, better fed, and most importantly, better trained. Valkyrie waved her hand and sent an Eraser flying. They sprinted down the corridor, fighting off the odd Eraser that was foolish enough to come near. The two girls eventually reached the last of the skirmishes, only to find a horde of wolf men descending upon them. Robin got into a fighting stance, but Valkyrie roasted most of their enemies before Robin could make a move towards them. The older girl hadn't even stopped to consider the creatures coming at them, she just ran down the corridor until she found a door. She opened it and peered inside. Very quickly she slammed it shut, as inhuman howls sounded on the other side, and apparently vicious animals hurled themselves at the door.

"Let's not go that way" said Valkyrie as she melted the hinges on the door, "That's the Erasers' kennels."

Robin didn't bother replying. She could see a door with a small green sign hanging above it. The green box was lighted up and had white markings on it. She saw Valkyrie run towards it, and followed behind her. She saw the older girl burn a pack of Erasers coming at her, then opened the door and ran out into the light.

**Ok, this isn't my best chapter, and it might take me a while to write the next one, what with exams coming up ****. Please don't cause me to have cardiac arrests for at least two weeks. Then you can threaten me and expect it to work. BTW I need a taken name for Robin. I'm open to suggestions. Actually, I need suggestions, cos otherwise I'm gonna call her Cat Wingchild.**


	11. Talking

The dark haired girl was ecstatic. She was free, far away from the lab, and she had her magic back. But she was also worried. She knew what she wanted to do, but she wasn't sure her young charge would want to come with her.  
"So Robin, what do you want to do with your life?" asked Valkyrie. The younger girl looked up in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you want to do now that you're free?"

"Oh," said Robin, "I don't know. I never really thought about it. I guess… I guess I want to find out who my parents were. And… I want to learn how to do that thing you did."

"What thing?' replied the Irish girl.

"That thing you did, when you threw the fire at the Erasers."

"Oh, magic. Well, I could teach you, but I don't know very much myself. Plus, you might not be able to do it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, not everyone can do magic, it depends on the person. I can do it, and my ancestors could do it, but my cousins might not."

"So how do we find out if I can do it? Is there some kind of test?"

"No, not really. Give me a second." The tall girl stretched out her left wing and plucked a dark brown feather tipped with black. "Here. If you manage to move this without touching it, then you can do magic. Here, I'll show…" Suddenly, the feather flew out of her hand to land into the delighted five year old's hand.

"Like that?" she asked

"How did you do that?"

"I just thought of it floating into my hand. Are you okay? Your eyes look like they're going to pop out of your head." The older girl did her best to calm down.

"How long have you been able to do that?"

"Always. I thought anyone could do it. Is it magic?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "Well, I suppose there isn't much sense in teaching you how to control air. I'll have to teach you how to control fire instead. Okay, it's more dangerous than air, but here's how it works. You need to snap your fingers and picture the spark that is produced. Try to catch it and make it grow. Like this." Valkyrie snapped her fingers and produced a small fireball the size of her fist. The younger girl snapped her fingers, but nothing happened.

"It'll take a lot of patience. You keep practicing, I'll find us something to eat." And with that, Valkyrie flew off to hunt.


	12. Sorry for too much talking

After dinner that night, Robin still couldn't produce a fireball, and was feeling rather disappointed, even though Valkyrie kept insisting that it would take time for her to figure it out. They'd eaten something Val had called deer. She honestly didn't care what it was called so long as it was edible.

"I'm going to Ireland," suddenly said Valkyrie, "You can come with me, if you want, or you can stay here. If you come with me, I can't promise anything if you come with me, but I can get a friend to help you look for your parents and I'll do my best to catch the guy who brought me in and pump him for information." The older girl looked worried and resigned, as if she wasn't really expecting an answer.

"When do we leave?" Valkyrie looked surprised.

"You want to come?"

"You're not getting rid of me so easily! Why didn't you think I'd come?"

"I've found out we're in America, practically the other side of the world. It takes ages to get here on a plane, and we don't have a plane. Once we get there, I'm not sure how my family and friends will react. I think my friends will understand, but I don't know about my parents. I don't even know how long I've been gone! "

"How do we get there?"

"Well, I was thinking we'd fly at night and land on boats during the day. We'd go over the ocean and Europe. I don't know how long or fast we can fly, so I've got no idea how long it'll take us."

"What's a boat?"

"Sorry, I forgot," Val smiled ruefully, "Ok, a boat is a way of moving over water. Say you took every single drop of water you'd ever drunk and put it in a hole in the ground. A boat would be able to carry you over that. The ocean is like the huge expanse of water that stretches between two really big masses of land. Europe is a pretty big mass land and it's separated into different areas, called countries. Ireland is one of those countries. Did explain everything?"

"I think so."

"Oh yeah, and if you're coming with me you'll have to pick a name."

"What's wrong with my name?"

"Mages can use it to control you. There are three names: your taken name, given name and true name. The last two can be used to control you, but very few people know their true name and taking a name will seal your given name."

"So what do I change my name to?"

"I can't tell you, it has to be something that defines you. Don't take a name because it sounds cool. Take something that suits you."

"Is Valkyrie your taken name?"

"Yep. My full name is Valkyrie Cain. A Valkyrie is the spirit of a warrior woman and Cain is trouble."

"What's your given name?"

Valkyrie looked sad, and Robin regretted asking the question. She was slightly jealous that Valkyrie had a family, but she hadn't thought that the older girl's past could be painful.

"My name was Stephanie Edgely."

"What does it mean?"

"Nothing much. It's just a name. Any more questions?" Robin shook her head.

"Good. Get some sleep, I'll wake you up later to take watch." Surprised at her abruptness, Robin did as she was asked, but as she lay down, she could swear she could see her friend's eyes tearing up.

I just read Mortal Coil and decided that's it's impossible to set this after it, so I've decided that this was set after Dark Days if no one saw Darquess destroying the world. Therefore, Everything not related to Valkyrie that happened in Mortal Coil has happened. Marr is dead, Ghastly is an Elder, and…that's about it. I've also decided that I'm setting this after Fang. I have a pretty good idea of who is going to turn up and how, but I'm hesitating between two characters. If you have a brilliant idea, please, please submit. I'm still looking for a taken name for Robin. Thanks to Zero Reaper and kyrie-ShapeShifter666 for submitting.


	13. lol pervert on a boat

Robin was amazed. How did people make all this food! They had all these amazing things, like pizza, and hamburgers, and chips! All this food, and anyone could have it! It was so good! It was her second day on a ship, and after the initial discomfort, she was really enjoying herself. There was food, and other people, and she was learning so many new things every day. She could almost make a fireball, but it would take her a while to figure out air magic. She didn't really see the point, seen as she could already move stuff without touching it.

She and Val were celebrating her achievements with a meal on the cruise ship they were spending the day on. Robin loved to just sit and listen to people talk. Val believed all this silent listening was why Robin's English was progressing so well. Suddenly, Robin asked

"Hey Val what does hot mean?" puzzled, Valkyrie replied,

"It means uncomfortably warm, like a fire, why?"

"I was wondering why that guy was calling you uncomfortably warm." Answered the six year old.

"What guy was this?"

"That one at the table over there." Robin was pointing at a man who quickly looked away, sitting alone at a table a few meters away.

"That guy? Who was he talking to? I would've heard him from here."

"He wasn't talking to anyone, just himself. What's a virgin?" Val whipped her head around to face her.

"Where did you hear _that_!"

"He just asked himself if you were a virgin. Why are you blushing?"

"I didn't hear anything and that guy didn't open his mouth. There's no way he said anything."

"Of course he did! He was saying it with his mind!"

Sorry I haven't submitted in ages, I was on holiday in my birthtown of Brussels, reading as many French books as I could. I obviously didn't get enough as I managed to fit them all in my suitcase.


	14. Fangalicious!

Welcome to Fang's blog! You are visitor number: 560078

Counter still broken.

Heading for Europe, somewhere, I'm-Hungry-And-Wish-Iggy-Was-Here-So-He-Could-Cook-Something-Edible O'clock

Hi everyone. Please stop sending me comments telling me how stupid I am. It gets really irritating. I know leaving Max was idiotic, but if it could save her life, then so be it. Yes, I do miss her, no, I'm not going back. Get over it. I have something to do, and it's hard to try and forget when everyone is badgering me about it.

I'm moving the blog to a Facebook page. Can't have Max looking at my plans. She might find me and kick me into next week. Sorry Max. Search me on Facebook. It's surprising how few people are called Fang.

I'm heading to Europe to form a new flock. There have been sightings of these two huge birds flying over the Atlantic and more recently over France. So I'm heading there myself. All the sightings were at night, and I think I'm catching up seen as I'm flying by day. To all you Europeans, keep your eyes open and tell me if you see anything big.

Fly on,

Fang


	15. Chapter 15

**Ok, I haven't updated in ages. Sorry. Please, if I'm not updating, nag me about it. I t will help. Otherwise I'll just forget. Sorry again.**

"Cat, welcome to the United Kingdom of England and Northern Ireland." Called out Valkyrie as she flew over the English channel. "This is our second last night before we get to Dublin. We're going to fly that way and stop for the day next to the sea." It was a beautiful night for flying, and as they approached Cardiff, Valkyrie considered stopping for the day. She squashed the thought just as it opened up all the questions she had no answer to, like Do they still love me? How will they react? How do I tell them? What about my parents? Is it a boy or girl? What will I-

"Val, you know they still love you", interrupted her companion, "I don't think a skeleton is going hate you for being different. And if they do, I'll hit them until they love you again."

"Cat, what did I tell you about reading my mind?" Scowled Valkyire.

"I'm only to do it in an emergency. Sorry." They flew in silence for a while, until it was broken by Valkyrie.

"Thanks."

The six-year old telepath just nodded as they flew through the night.

The next evening, the two hybrids were coming in over Ireland. Valkyrie seemed agitated, but, not wanting to intrude on her privacy, Cat left her thoughts alone. Instead, to distract her flock-sister as well as herself, she asked Valkyrie if they were near.

"We're about half an hour away from Dublin, the capital," she answered. "That's Haggard, over in the West there, and we're not stopping there just yet. I know- or used to know- someone who could help us in Dublin. However, I'd rather keep our presence secret for now. I'd rather she didn't recognise me."

"Is that why you got those cloaks?"

"Yeah, I thought they'd conceal us pretty well."

"Why don't you want her to recognize you?" questioned the younger child.

"I'm not sure. I think... deep down I'm afraid she won't recognise me, or have forgotten me. We weren't exactly friends, but she knew me pretty well," replied Valkyrie, "Watch out, by the way. When we see her, let me do the talking. She can be rather...intense."

"OK. What's her name by the way? And why are we seeing her first?"

"Well, the thing is, I can't really remember any addresses. I don't know whether it was the torture or the drugs, but the only one I can remember are hers and a tailor shop. She knows things, and she'll be able to tell me either where Skullduggery is, or where Sanguine is."

"What, just like that? Won't she want something in exchange?"

"Of course. I'll give her information about ourselves. I'm sure she'll be interested."

"You still haven't told me her name."

"Her name is China Sorrows."


	16. Chapter 16

"Miss Sorrows?"

China looked up from the old tome she was reading. Her servant was at the door, requesting her attention.

"What is it Walter?"

"There are two people who wish to see you miss."

"I'm busy. Tell them to come back later." China bent her head to study her book again. She didn't want to deal with any annoying admirers tonight.

"They say they have information about Valkyrie Caine." China's head snapped up.

"Let them in." Walter nodded and stepped out. A moment later, he returned accompanied by two figures clad in black floor length cloaks, the hoods swept over their faces. The one on the left was smaller, about 1meter 20, whereas the other one must have been about 1meter 80. The shorter one gasped as she came in, which almost brought a smug smile to China's face. _Still got it_, she thought.

"I hear you have information about Valkyrie Cain," she said.

"We do." Said the tallest figure. He (It?) had an unusually deep voice, and his words bordered on a growl. "We are willing to give you this information in exchange of some of yours."

"How valuable is your information?"

"I know where she was and where she will be. Tell me where I can find Sanguine and Skulduggery Pleasant, and I will tell you what I know."

"How do I know your information to be genuine?"

"You don't. Then again, I could ask the same of you."

"Fair point. Tell me what you know."

"I'd rather you told me first."

"But then you might not pay up." China replied. The speaker threw his head back and laughed. It was an strangely animalistic sound, like a lion roaring repeatedly.

"I am sure, Miss Sorrows, that if we did try to cheat you in such a way, you would find a way to make us reveal our knowledge. How about I tell you where she was and then you tell me where I can find Detective Pleasant." China thought the offer over before replying:

"Very well. I hope your information is accurate."

"It is. Two weeks ago, Valkyrie Cain was in a scientific research center in Death Valley, California. The establishment recently burned down in an... unexplained fire." The smile in the speakers' voice was unmistakable. "Your turn."

"Very well. Right now, Sukulduggery Pleasant is going after Sanguine."

"And where are they?"

"I'm sure I'd be able to tell you if I knew where Valkyrie will be next." The speaker sighed.

"She will land in Dublin tonight. Now, Sanguine's location."

"A warehouse, near the Docks. About three hours drive from here. Owned by a crowd called "Itex". You won't be able to miss it. It'll be the one surronded by police cars."

The speaker nodded and headed towards the door. Before leaving, he turned.

"By the way, Miss Sorrows, I would appreciate it if you waited an hour or so before calling Skullduggery. Let him deal with Sanguine first." The cloaked figure closed the door behind it. China waited a few moments before ordering her butler, Walter, to arrange to have them followed. As soon as he had left, she picked up the phone. This had been a very informative evening indeed.


	17. Chapter 17

A man was waiting outside a warehouse near the docks of Dublin. He was dressed in a long and heavy coat, with a hat perched upon his head at a precarious angle. He reached up to adjust it, when a young man appeared. He was in his twenties, with hair that would put Jedward to shame. The older man nodded a greeting.

"Are you sure he's here?" asked the young man, "China has been wrong before."

"Yes. He'll be here. China's source was certain."

"Then what are we waiting for? He could leave any minute!"

"We're waiting for Tanith. If Sanguine is there, then she'll be useful backup, and she'd kill us if started without her. Well," He amended," she'd kill you, at least." Just then, the roar of a motorcycle was heard. The two men watched as the motorbike slowed and stopped next to them. A young woman clad in leather jumped off the bike. She pulled off her helmet, revealing a cascade of blond hair. She looked the warehouse she'd just parked next to critically.

"Are you sure this is it?" she asked.

"Of course! Why does everyone keep asking me that?" asked the older man.

"Because we remember the last time you got information off China, and it turned out to be a perfectly ordinary mortal drug deal? It was fun, but the Ravel was trying very hard not to rip your head off."

"With friends like him, why do I bother with enemies?" lamented the man

"Come, on let's go kill some drug dealers."

The woman walked towards the warehouse, drawing the sword strapped to her side as the two men followed her. There was no-one to notice the mobile phone beeping in the Bentley parked across the street, or the two winged creatures circling overhead.


	18. Fight!

"Here we are!" called Valkyrie. The docks and warehouses stretched out before her. Cat was flying a little behind her. Although there were no police cars around, they could hear fighting. Following the sound was ridiculously easy, and it had only taken them a few minutes to pinpoint the commotion. They swooped on to the roof of the warehouse. They quickly shed their backpacks before searching for a skylight. The nearest one was located near the middle of the building.

"Ready?" asked Valkyrie. Cat grinned and smashed the glass of the skylight.

"Sanguine's mine," the older girl reminded her.

"Of course" replied Cat. She then lowered herself through the broken window and disappeared. Valkyrie smiled and did the same. As soon as her hands had let go of the window sill, she dropped and unfurled her wings. Below, an army of Erasers were fighting three humans. Cat was massacring Erasers a few meters away from the humans. She looked around as she glided, searching for her prey. Everyone and every thing was in action, except for a single man. He was standing on a stack of crates, staring out at the battle field before him. She could see the glasses covering his eyes and cracks running across the floor below him. She flew nearer, before shifting into her feline form. She dropped in the spot where Sanguine had been standing mere seconds ago. A survival instinct had encouraged him to look up and jump away a split second before an angry panther fell on him. He'd landed on his feet at the bottom of the crates. Cracks were forming at his feet. Valkyrie jumped on to him. She knocked him down and climbed onto his chest. She placed her paw, claws out, against his throat. With her other paw, she knocked the razor from his hand. She returned to her original form.

"Sanguine. It's been a while since we last saw each other. What are you doing in Ireland, and with an army of Erasers to boot?"

Sanguine made a noise that sounded like something halfway between a squeak and a scream.

"Now, it would be my greatest pleasure to kill you right now, but my friend wants something from you. So you might want to just lie on the floor and not do anything, or I might snap out of this good mood I'm in. Understood?" The assassin made another sound.

"Great. Good to know. Now, just lie still until my friend finishes with the Erasers." Just then, an Eraser crashed into a stack of crates a few meters in front of them, causing them to fall to the ground. As Valkyrie turned to see what was happening, she suddenly felt a pain in her abdomen. She looked down, seeing the hilt of a knife buried there. Her eyes flickered to where the razor had fallen to, while her grip on Sanguine loosened.

"Now then, lil' darlin' didn't you think I wouldn't come prepared?" Sanguine said, as he shrugged the girl off. He picked up his razor, and looked at it for a minute.

"You know I don't like parting with this. I feel exposed without it. But I think it'll look so much better on you." He added calmly. He then turned and pushed the blade straight through her chest. Valkyrie gasped in pain.

"You asked earlier why I was here. Well, I've got a few things to do. Kids to pick up. Once I'm finished with your sister, I'll come pick you up. I really hope you'll still be alive. It'll be so entertaining to see you fight your lil sis." He gave her one last grin as the ground below him opened up into a thousand tiny cracks. Valkyrie tried to shout, but found herself unable to make a sound. So instead, she screamed in her head.

_Cat!_

_Val?_

_Sanguine…Haggard…Sister…Go after him!_

_Val? Are you OK?_

_Just Go!_

Valkyrie looked towards the door, and, a few minutes later, saw a pair of wings taking to the sky. With a sigh of relief, she dragged herself behind a stack of crates. She collapsed, panting heavily, before sitting herself up and looking at the knife in her stomach. Slowly she wrapped her hands around the hilt and pulled. It wouldn't come out at the first go, so she tried again. On the third attempt, the knife slipped out of her flesh with a sickening _Snick!_ Valkyrie was feeling faint, but she tugged on the razor in her chest with a hand over the slowly-healing wound in her stomach until the warehouse grew dark around her, and she knew no more.


	19. Napoleon Kimberly knows

Skulduggery set the last wolf-creature on fire with a snap of his fingers, before turning to his friends.

"See? China wasn't wrong."

"This time," mumbled Fletcher. Louder he continued, "Is it just me or did I see our Texan friend?"

"Yeah, he was here earlier. I saw him on top of those crates," said Tanith, pointing to the opposite side of the warehouse.

"Well then, let's if he decided to stick around." Skulduggery walked towards the stack of crates. "If you find any of these wolf-things that are still alive, we'll take them with us. They might have some information." The other two nodded their approval as they made their way towards the spot where they'd last seen Sanguine. They stopped every so often to look for a live creature. They had nearly reached the stack of crates when Tanith called out that she'd found one of the things-alive. Skulduggery went to see the beast, but Fletcher ignored them, having noticed a red trail originating near a circle of cracks.

"Hey!" he called, "Come look at this!" As the other two approached, he followed the trail of blood to behind the stack of crates. What he saw there nearly stopped his heart with surprise.

There was girl, probably in her early twenties, with dark hair, lying in a pool of blood, with a knife in her chest and a wound on her abdomen. That in itself was unusual enough. But the thing that really had him stunned was that he knew this girl. It was Valkyrie.

When Skulduggery saw her, he could understand why Fletcher was standing there, doing a very good impression of a fish. He would probably have joined him in his mullet impersonation, if he wasn't determined not to let Valkyrie bleed to death just as they found her. That would have been stupid. So he sent Fletcher to take her to Kenspeckle, with orders to come back and give them a progress report a soon as possible. Which was why he was waiting outside near the Bentley. Fletcher popped into existence next to them. He looked very pale.

"Kenspeckle patched her up as best he could. He said she'll be out for a couple of days, and that she's lucky she survived."

Skiulduggery opened his jaw to ask something, when a beeping tone came from inside the car. The skeleton reached in a picked up a mobile phone from the dashboard. He checked the caller ID

"It's China," he explained, answering the call, "Yes?"

"Oh good, you picked up this time. I called you twenty minutes ago, but you must have been busy fighting for your life or some such."

"Yes, we were. Do you have anything important to say? We're kind of busy."

"Yeah, actually, I do. First of all, Valkyrie's coming back to Ireland."

"We knew that."

"What! Who told you?"

"We found her in a warehouse. Well, China, if that's it, we really must be going."

"No! Wait! The other thing is, Sanguine has breached the wards around Haggard!"

The skeleton went silent for a moment. Then he said,

"We'll be there in a minute." He snapped the phone shut and snapped "Tanith, with me. Fletcher, go check on Valkyrie then join us. Teleport in front of the Edgley house." And with that, slid into his car and drove off. Tanith Jumped onto her motorcycle and went after him. Slightly dazed, Fletcher just stood there for a moment before composing himself and returning to the Hibernian.


	20. Chapter 20

Valkyrie slowly came to her senses. Out of habit, she slowed her breathing so that an observer would think her unconscious. She cast her attention to her surroundings while keeping her eyes closed. She could hear a beeping sound and a hushed conversation. It seemed to her that she was on a bed of some sort. She breathed in through her nose and smelled blood, and the clinical smell of a lab

_No! _she thought. She lunged off the bed she was on, startling the two people in her room. She ran for the door, twisted the handle and ran as fast as she can. She heard someone shout, and shifted into her feline form. Valkyrie ran blindly through the vaguely familiar corridors.

_Maybe the Schools are all laid out the same, _she thought absently. She couldn't hear anyone behind her, but she sped up anyway, desperate to get out. Finally, she burst through an open door that lead to the cool night air and backstreets of Dublin. Valkyrie shifted back to her human self and ran a couple of steps before snapping out her wings and taking to the skies.

"Valkyrie!" she heard a voice shout from below.

_What? No-one but Cat calls me that._ She looked down, but could see no-one on the ground. The call came again from the nearest building. Curiosity and fear battled through her. She glided over the building, trying to catch sight of whoever was calling her name. There was a young man staring at her from the top. Valkyrie glided to the other edge of the building, where the man wouldn't be able to see her, before turning back to where she had see the man. As she had thought, he'd run after her on the other end of the roof. She landed quietly and hid in the shadows. Her hands turned to claws when the young man returned. He was in his early twenties, with blond hair sticking out in all directions. The man was cursing, probably because he'd lost her. Valkyrie quietly crept behind him while shifting her throat and part of her head to that of her feline shape. The man didn't see even suspect her presence until she had her hands around his neck. Her left hand was at his throat, while her right one covered his mouth.

"Move and you're dead," she growled in her inhuman voice, "Who are you, who do you work for, and how do you know my name?" She removed her hand from his mouth and moved to his throat.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't work for anyone! Well, except maybe the Sanctuary, but that was years ago! "

"The…Sanctuary?" How could an Eraser (which he must be, for why else would he be in a lab?) know about the Sanctuary? "How do you know about the Sanctuary?"

"I just told you, I used to work for them! I quit after a friend of mine went missing! Could you please stop strangling me?!" He sounded… scared. Valkyrie couldn't remember the last time she heard an Eraser being scared. Either he was a very good actor (which was highly unlikely,) or he was telling the truth. Which would mean that he was a sorcerer! She loosened her grip on the man's neck a little at the revelation. The man immediately disappeared, leaving her clutching at air. Suddenly, she heard a whooshing sound. Valkyrie ducked the plank of wood that would have crashed into the back of her skull had she stayed in place. Her prisoner was wielding it, and promptly disappeared once more. Valkyrie shifted to her feline form and waited for him to reappear. She wasn't waiting for long. The man popped into existence at her side, this time holding a baseball bat, ready to swing. At the sight of the cat, he froze. Valkyrie jumped and pinned him to the ground. The man was sweating. Now that she was so close to him, he seemed familiar. She changed her head so that she could speak, but so that it would still hide her face.

"Now, you were going to tell me your name." She stated in an inhuman growl. She was surprised that the man understood her at all, yet he muttered:

"F-Fletcher Renn"

"You're lying," she growled.

"No, you saw me, didn't you? I teleported! Where else did I get a baseball bat"

"You could be another Teleporter using his name." The man frowned.

"Haven't you noticed? There hasn't been "another Teleporter" in years! I've been the last one since the Faceless Ones nearly invaded!"

"Prove it." She grunted.

"What?" asked the blond Teleporter.

"Prove it. I met Fletcher Renn. Prove to me that you're really him."

"Ok, great. How do I do that? I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting a giant, talking, aggressive panther."

"You'd be surprised. Tell me what happened on the day where you met Skulduggery Pleasant, and I'll believe that you are who you say you are."

"Huh? Why Skulduggery?" At her growl, he hastily continued, "OK, OK, well, the Diablerie had been killing the Teleporters, and Skulduggery and his partner had come to put me in protective custody, and I was refusing them, when Sanguine showed up, offered me a job, and attacked the others when I declined. I then… uh…teleported myself away and Skulduggery and Valkyrie found me later."

"Where exactly did you teleport to?" asked the cat-girl.

"What does it matt… Ok,Ok, I teleported into the bathroom, all right! You should go see someone about your anger issues, you know!"

Paying no heed to his complaints, Valkyrie dragged the man toward a patch of light and studied his features as he struggled and shouted.

"Oh my God… You are Fletcher."

"Well yes, I've been saying that for the last twenty minutes."

Valkyrie shifted fully back to her human form and stepped back from him. Her lips formed a thin smile.

"It's good to see you again."

"V-Valkyrie?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I threatened you with death earlier, but I didn't recognize you."

"Uhhh…that's ok. Just, don't sneak up on me like that again. Please."

"Sure. Can you get me to Haggard?"

"What!? But, you're injured! You can't go gallivanting around! Kenspeckle needs to check you out!" Valkyrie stiffened

"Fletcher, Sanguine's going after my sister and the only thing stopping him is a five-year old!"

"Skulduggery's going there too."

"He's driving, right? Do you really think he'll make it there in time?"

Fletcher's silence spoke for itself.

"Exactly. Can you please get me there? I'm fine, I've had way worse and I was fine."

"Ok, fine, I'll take you."

"And really? Gallivanting? You've been spending too much time with Skulduggery."

"Oh, shut up. Come on, let's go."


End file.
